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DIPOL Weekly Review - TV and SAT TV, CCTV, WLAN

No. 19/2014 (May 12, 2014)

Let's print... houses. Even two years ago we could read about 3D printers only on the Internet and see the effects at selected trade fairs. Currently, these devices are more and more often used by companies and factories as normal tools. It is not surprising that items designed in CAD ​​software can be sent to devices that transform them from the virtual world to physical reality. Of course, these are still simple elements, such as mugs or mouse casings. But Dutch architects from DUS Architects office demonstrated that 3D printers technology does not end with the production of this type of small, simple elements. Their unusual concept concerns the printing of... buildings. What's more, at the moment the project is not only an idea on the paper. The test building, 3D Print Canal House, is just being built in Amsterdam.

It is a very early stage of the technology of building homes using 3D printers. The printer does not automatically builds a whole house, but creates its components. To make this possible, the specialists from DUS adapted for this purpose a shipping container and implemented inside it mechanical and electrical structure allowing for the deposition of successive layers of a building material. The material is a special polymer developed by Henkel of Germany, capable of providing adequate strength and stiffness. The "printed" elements are connected together to form rooms and the structure of the entire building.

The printed items and rooms are examined by engineers on the spot. Each of the rooms is a self-supporting structure. The printed walls provide space for running pipes and installing electrical and telecommunications systems. At present, the estimated time to complete a medium-size house is 3 years. This is obviously far too long. According to researchers, in the future the time needed to build a small house could be shorted even to 20 minutes. However, even if it were several days, it would be a success, too. Competitors of DUS are also working hard on their projects. Until the completion of the Canal House project, the world will probably see much faster solutions.

The basics of construction industry have been the same for hundreds of years now. Of course, there are new materials, technologies, machines and construction methods that allow to build more and more complex structures and buildings, but each construction process takes a long time and a lot of energy, is often dangerous for workers, generates a large amount of waste materials. Printed buildings can be created out of recyclable materials, with the logistics as simple as possible - elements or the whole structure produced on the spot.

A more "concrete" approach to "house printing" is presented by the researches from the University of Southern California. They are testing a giant robot with a nozzle on a gantry, squirting out quick-setting concrete according to a computer pattern. Will one of "printing" methods really revolutionize building industry? Let's wait and see...

Fiber-optic boxes protecting mechanical splices. Mechanical splices allow for quick and cheap joining of optical fibers. The body of any mechanical splice, e.g. Ultimode L5550 or KeyQuick L5558, is larger than a fusion splice even with thick heat-shrinkable tubing. So, the boxes selected for systems with mechanical splices should provide suitable space for these elements.

TERRA multiswitch system for 8 users. On the market there are many solutions for antenna systems based on multiswitches. When choosing the components, the installer should pay attention to their parameters and suitability for a specific application, and their reliability guaranteed by the manufacturer(s).

Radial multiswitches of Terra MRS series are intended for distribution systems based on star topology, where one multiswitch or a group of multiswitches is connected to the outlets of users via individual coaxial cables. They are therefore ideal for use in single-family houses or in single multi-family buildings. Due to a passive terrestrial path, the signals provided by the terrestrial TV antenna(s) should have sufficient levels.

A small shared antenna system distributing DVB-S/S2, DVB-T and FM/DAB signals to 8 outlets

The terrestrial antenna set consists of A1911 and A0221 antennas. Depending on reception conditions, they can be replaced by more complex FM and/or UHF arrays or can be equipped with preamplifier(s) (the C0340 diplexer with FM/VHF(DAB)/UHF inputs can transfer the supplying voltage for the preamplifier(s) from the HS-013 R82010 amplifier). The terrestrial signals are combined in the TERRA MRS-508 R70308 multiswitch with the satellite broadcasts received by the satellite dish with the A9858 quatro LNB. The combined signals are distributed via coaxial cables to eight terminal outlets Signal R694100.

Power supply for IP cameras in video surveillance systems. The ULTIPOWER 0098af PoE switch is a desktop device enabling smooth data transmission in 10/100 Mbps Ethernet networks. Its nine RJ45 ports support auto-negotiation function, eight of them provide power over Ethernet (PoE function). The switch automatically detects PD devices compliant with IEEE 802.3af standard and provides them with power supply. This feature allows the user to expand the network coverage in areas where there is no access to AC power lines/outlets and to employ access points, IP cameras, IP phones, etc.

Monitoring of UPS devices. Free PowerPanel Business Edition software has been designed for CyberPower N9705 and N9714 uninterrupted power supplies. The software consists of three modules: Agent, Client, Center.

The logical division of devices running Client, Agent, and Center modules of the PowerPanel software

The Agent module is responsible for monitoring and configuring the UPS, and for the computer's power management system. The computer running this module can be connected to the UPS with the use of a USB or serial port. The application records the status determined by power supply events/changes and, in response, triggers necessary actions (such as turning off the computer, sending notification). The functions of the module include UPS configuration and resetting, setting shutdown schedule, sending information on power failure by e-mail, SMS, etc.

The Client module receives status information from the Agent module or the UPS (via optional NIC). In the event of a power failure it can turn off the computer on which is installed.

The Center module can establish a network connection to any computer running Agent or Client module or directly to UPS. It can also record events and trigger suitable actions.

Screenshots from the software

How to monitor hard drives in CCTV systems? A hard disk failure in the DVR, though it happens rarely, would mean the loss of all or a significant part of the archive. Modern DVRs and HDDs offer features that minimize such risks. DVRs of the newest Ultimax 13xx, 14xx and 21xx series support S.M.A.R.T. (Self-Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Technology) function that monitors the operation of hard drive(s) and notifies the system operator of a risk of failure.

The S.M.A.R.T. function offers increased security of data archiving. The DVRs are able to assess the condition of the installed hard drive(s) and, if symptoms indicate the possibility of data loss or disk failure, the operator of the system is immediately alerted. In addition to the real-time disk monitoring, the operator can test the disk(s) on demand. The test options include "Short Self Test" detecting most of possible problems, and significantly longer (up to an hour) "Extended Self Test" which carefully examines all disk parameters.

New products offered by DIPOL

HDD Western Digital AV-25 500GB (2.5", for mobile DVRs) M89240 from the AV-25 series of Western Digital has been purpose-built for surveillance digital video recording systems based on mobile DVRs operating in 24/7 mode. The series offers superior performance, high capacity and long-term reliability. The drives are designed to work non-stop in systems processing and recording audio and video, on any platform (PCs, mobile and standalone DVRs).

IP NVR Signal 2709 K2709 is an economical 9-channel IP network video recorder dedicated for small and medium size IP CCTV systems where the priority is low cost. This standalone NVR with VGA and HDMI outputs can be directly connected to a monitor for live monitoring and playing back archives, without a need for an additional computer. Thanks to embedded Linux OS, the Signal 2709 NVR ensures stable operation and resistance to computer viruses.

Building Amplifier Terra HA-210 R82305 is a high power RF amplifier (FM and TV signals), with gain up to 36 dB and output level up to 107 dBμV. This characteristics makes it ideal for medium and large shared antenna systems (MATV).

Worth reading

Which optical fiber to choose for installations in buildings? Although optical fibers have widely been used in telecommunications for many years, only now their price and increasing popularity among operators is the reason for the "last mile" applications. Everyone who wants to build or renovate an office or public building, multi-dwelling unit or even a single-family house, should consider the implementation of fiber optic cabling... more